... and Unexpectedly Joyful This Year!
The rules of Valentine's Day may have changed over the years but all we wish for this year is a quiet night in (is there any other way these days?) snuggled by the fire in our cosy alpaca bed socks or mohair socks.
Back in teenage years Valentine’s Day was much anticipated at my school. We had a reciprocal arrangement with a boys school over a rose delivery service. Buckets of single roses would arrive at reception and be distributed to common rooms over the course of the day. Who had got a rose from who became the talk of the day. It was not uncommon for the most popular girl in the class to receive three! I used to live in hope that there might be one for me. Despite being boyfriendless for most of my teenage years there was still the dream that Paul Nichols or Nick from the Backstreet boys might have sent me one somehow, but by afternoon break it was all looking less likely.
Fast forward to late teens and early twenties and Valentine’s Days were spent dining with Mr Wrong in Mr Wong, cheek by jowl with the couple next door, the restaurant having been converted for one night only into tables for two. Set menus galore, surrounded by couples that took the opportunity to go out for their one night out together of the year, staring at each other in a vacuum of good conversation.
So fast forward to 2021 with Mr Right and what does Valentine’s Day look like? It’s so full of possibility as to what we ‘might have been doing.’ Reservation at a michelin star? Spa day for two? Mini break to Venice? Even a night away somewhere, anywhere, without the dog and the kids.
Or maybe it will be Netflix again…. And do you know what? I couldn’t be happier with that.
Though I might put the pressure on for it to be a rom com rather than a war film. We’ll be snuggled up with the golden retriever, and I will probably be in my pajamas, and will certainly be wearing my gorgeous alpaca bed socks, which I can’t take off these days. Mr Right hasn’t got a pair yet but he has just been gifted a pair of our undyed alpaca socks. He’s a mohair boy, so we are waiting to see what he thinks of the alpaca wool.
What’s wonderful about Valentine’s Day these days is that it’s about so much more than romantic love - platonic love and self love being equally as important. Whatever you are doing this Valentine’s Day, look after yourself - take a bath, light a candle, pause for breath and pop something unexpectedly joyful on your feet.
